Ideas for Principle #25

💡 Velcro shoes that let a child put them on alone, without help.
A faucet that shuts off on its own - some faucets automatically stop the water flow when you pull your hands away, so water isn't wasted without anyone noticing.

Always need to ask a grown-up for help with small things?!
It tires them out, and it also makes us feel dependent all the time.

The way to think about it is: how can we make a thing take care of itself, without us having to do everything ourselves every single time?

When things know how to "serve themselves," we have more time and energy for other things.

Ready for a challenge? We've prepared some extra challenges for you to try

Now it's your turn to invent. Design an imaginary device or habit that takes care of itself, without anyone reminding it.

Easy
1. Find another thing at home together that knows how to take care of itself, and check how it does that.
2. Ask your child what the first thing he'd like to learn to do alone this year is.

A bit of a stretch
3. Choose together a small role in managing the money that the child will take on alone this week, without a reminder from the parents.
4. Check together after a week whether it's easier to remember to save when it's his regular job, compared to when he's reminded every time.

Challenge for champions
5. Ask your child to plan a whole routine that he manages alone from start to finish, with no help at all.
6. Try thinking together about a device or toy that could maintain itself completely on its own, and plan how it would work.